TikTok releases several updates to tempt marketing budgets

TikTok releases several updates to tempt marketing budgets

Marisa Bailey August 25, 2023

In another attempt to pull marketing budget away from Meta and Google, TikTok has added several new features, allowing the platform to emerge as innovators within the social media landscape. Let’s take a look at the latest features on TikTok which can be used by your brand to connect with your target audience.

Ability to Add Text-Only Posts

We have recently seen the launch of Threads by Meta to take on Twitter, now TikTok also wants to capitalise on users who want to move away from Twitter. TikTok has also entered the social media battle by launching text-only posts. This move comes as TikTok comment sections are becoming increasingly popular, and according to The Guardian, TikTok claims that the move aims to “give comment sections, captions and videos a place to shine”. 

The feature will allow users to post photos, videos and text which can all appear in the For You Page in the same way as videos. Users will also be able to add stickers and coloured backgrounds to the posts similar to Instagram stories. Users will also be able to add sound and locations enabling text-only posts to become just as dynamic and interactive as videos. The posts will also have an optional comments section to facilitate further discussion. 

This new feature allows marketers to express and share their creativity on TikTok by sharing their thoughts in text format, and inviting discussions from other users.

Launch of Ad Transparency Tools

TikTok has also added a tool providing users with more information about how their data is collected, used, stored and shared giving users more control over their data. This new feature allows users to see why they are being shown certain ads and what types of data is collected by TikTok to show these ads. 

The new feature provides the ability for users to clear their details which businesses have shared with TikTok. Sponsorship and paid partnership disclosure will also have proper labels for users to distinguish between sponsored and organic content. This will help to alleviate some of the brand safety concerns that many marketers have around TikTok.

Post-purchase ad survey incentive for advertisers 

TikTok’s post-purchase survey also adds another layer of insight into the customer’s path to purchase, allowing businesses to learn from their customers to improve their services. TikTok has now added a feature that allows businesses to earn up to $5000 in ad credit to offset the cost of the post-purchase survey by enrolling in TikTok’s Post-Purchase Survey Incentive Program. For marketers doubting the effectiveness of its ads platform, this will help address some of their concerns.

Music Streaming Service

TikTok is also trialling a music streaming service which comes after many sounds on TikTok became viral following widespread use. The new feature will allow users to discover, share and download music on TikTok providing users with a new platform to listen to music and discover new artists.

According to The Verge, TikTok has propelled the success of many hit songs since its launch enabling users to discover new artists and songs through viral trends circulating on TikTok. Songs that have become famous on TikTok are also compiled into designated playlists on Spotify and Apple Music, so it was about time that TikTok launched a streaming service of its own.

According to The Verge, in a recent press release, TikTok stated that “TikTok Music is a new kind of music service that combines the power of music discovery on TikTok with a music streaming service offering millions of tracks from thousands of artists.” TikTok Music will also have its own dedicated app separate from the video platform and users will also be able to connect their TikTok music account to a normal TikTok account to listen, share and download music they discover to other users. The new designated application will work similarly to Spotify allowing users to download music to listen to offline, create playlists with others and subscribers can comment which facilitates interactions with like-minded users. 

TikTok Stories

Following suit from Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook, TikTok has now jumped on the trend and launched stories. According to Sprout Social, TikTok Stories provide the ability for businesses to connect with audiences to build a community whilst also increasing engagement. This is because TikTok Stories also has a public comment section to continue conversations whereas Instagram comments are private.

TikTok Stories appear in the For You Page and viewers can like, comment and share in the same way in the same way for videos. TikTok Stories also have the same effects, filters and transitions as normal videos and users can also add sound and photos. The feature is also a great way to enhance connections with users who are already interested in your content as the Story panel only displays stories from accounts users are following. Stories will play for 15 seconds in a loop and will stay live for 24 hours but unlike Instagram, TikTok Stories will stay on the user’s main video feed unless removed.

Traditional TikTok video content may not necessarily work on stories but businesses could benefit from using Stories to share exclusive content with users, facilitate customer engagement using Q&As and sharing content from behind the scenes of your brand.

According to Sprout Social, TikTok Stories has not been heavily publicized meaning there is currently scope for “untapped potential” for businesses who take advantage of the new feature, especially as short-form content is 2.5 times more engaging for audiences than long-form content.

In addition to these features, TikTok is also trialling other features such as a landscape mode, possibly to compete with YouTube. Become an early adopter of these features today to ensure your company has an edge over competitors when they take off. Though these new features favour brands who already have strong creative, and products which lend themselves to more aural/visual advertising, its tools are making it increasingly easy for large-scale brands (and especially those in ecomm) to get invovled.

As ever, if you’re wondering if it is time for your brand to jump into TikTok, speak to our social team and we’ll assess the opportunity:

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